A number of fast food places have tried to dispel the nation that fast food is bad by coming up with a variation on the slogan: It’s not fast food—its good food fast…

But many still regard fast food as bad food…and there are continuing attempts to warn us that we are what we eat…

Here’s a couple of the most recent examples:

DRIVEN TO OVER EAT….

Saying that it’s worried that over half the adults in its state are obese—the Massachusetts Public Health Council got a law enacted requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more in-state locations to post calorie counts next to each item on their menus or menu boards— including all items sold at the drive-up window as you can read here.

Apparently, figures show 65% of ALL fast food purchases occur at the drive-up window..

Do you think a little calorie sign next to those burgers and fries is going to thin-up those hungry hoards who are too fat to get out of their cars to when ordering their fast food?

EYE think not…

Maybe they ought to require folks get out of their cars and WALK to the fast food place to get their grub.

At least they’d burn off more calories than if they drove up to the take-out window.

THAT’S A BIG ORDER…

Daly City is a small community South of San Francisco with about 10,000 residents….

Although small, students at the local high school are trying to make a big decision… They have decided they don’t want any more fast food joints in their town.

As you can read here, 900 Jefferson High students presented the town council with a petition asking it for a moratorium on new fast-food restaurants in town.

They say there’s already too many unhealthy places to eat in Daly City..

And they aren’t stopping at local fast food restaurants either.

They say their next project is to “fix the food in their cafeteria.”

Considering the “mystery meat” and other inedible concoctions that EYE remember from my high school cafeteria days—the Daly City kids could be on to something.

PSST..WANNA BUY SOME STONE GROUND OATS?

One of the fastest breakfasts on the planet is a bowl of cereal…

Some, like the high-sugar kiddy stuff are defiantly in the category of “junk food”…

But would you call a breakfast cereal a DRUG?

Well, that some are calling Cheerios.

As it says here, because the cereal box cites a clinical study which reads “eating two servings a day of Cheerios helps to reduce bad cholesterol — when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol” the FDA figures that makes Cheerios a drug.

Cheerios maker says the FDA approved the health claims 12 years ago—but is now upset about how the information is presented on the box…

Former president Jimmy Carter sat before Congress recently complaining that things haven’t changed much since he was president with regard to dependence on oil.

And he warned the problems we faced back then when the gas ran out are bound to happen again.

The gas stopped flowing late in 1973, when the oil producing countries of the Middle East decided to teach the world a lesson..

On October 17, 1973 OPEC, the oil cartel voted to stop shipping petroleum to countries that were supporting Israel in a war with two of its Arab neighbors.

That conflict began when Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Jewish Holiday of Yom Kipper.

The effect of the embargo was swift and dramatic.

Gas prices jumped from about 25 cents a gallon to nearly a dollar—if you could get gas.

Service stations ran out of fuel.

People waited in lines for two or three hours to buy gas—which service station operators voluntarily rationed to stretch their supply as much as possible.

A nationwide speed limit of 55mph was imposed to save fuel—and the Department of Energy was formed to create a cohesive energy policy…

On March 17, 1974 OPEC voted to end the embargo—but the United States was wary–and was looking at conservation….

In 1977, in a speech that was rife with conservation symbolism, newly inaugurated President Jimmy Carter sat next to a lit fireplace, in a sweater—talking about creating a long range energy policy for our country.

But in 1979—the gas ran out AGAIN.

This time the precipitating cause was the Ayatollah Khomenini’s Iranian revolution that forced the dictatorial Shah of Iran from the country.

Once again— shortages created gas lines…

Service stations shut down several days a week—and gas was available either on odd or even days—depending on the whether the last number of your license plate was odd or even..

The situation got so bad—the government printed gas rationing coupons—but they were never issued…

People lowered heating thermostats to 65 degrees—and tried other ways to conserve petroleum…

Eventually the shortages abated..

Now, more than 30 years later, many of the initiatives proposed in the 70’s under Jimmy Carter have gone unheeded.

Had we worked toward energy independence THEN— we might not be in the situation we’re in now.

After a brief respite—gas prices are on the march upward again. And as they burn more and more of our disposable income, are we going to let another 30 years slide by before we do anything— or are we going to demand our leaders begin crash programs now to help mitigate our energy problems today?

There’s always something happening that frosts my cupcakes—and when EYE get enough cupcakes sitting on my mental counter-top it’s time to serve them to you in :

IT GIVES ME FEVER….

After several weeks of Swine Flu coverage—we may be on the verge of learning the real truth about the way this strange genetic makeup of the H1N1 virus came about.

As you might recall scientists said it contained a here-to-for unseen combination Swine, Bird and Human flu…

A couple of weeks back, we speculated in this post the virus might have been artificially created.

Now as you can read here the researcher who helped create the anti-viral medicine TAMIFLU believes the H1N1 virus was a HUMAN creation that accidentally escaped a research lab.

Adrian Gibbs bases his conclusion on H1N1’s genetic blueprint, and says so in a report.

The World health Organization is investigating his claims while some are trying to pooh-pooh Gibb’s allegation.

But with four decades of studying the evolution of germs, my money’s on Gibbs.

GENERATING A CONTROVERSY…

First they told us we were running out of oil—but not to worry because we had plenty of coal that we could use to generate power..

Now, these two studies by researchers at the California Institute of Technology and the University of Washington claim we’ve overestimated the amount of coal we have available—and that we’ll hit peak production of it by 2025..

So, that pretty much gives us about 15 years to come up with workable, available alternative energy sources.

Can we beat the clock—or will we wait till 2024 before we do something?

IF x2=y>4 YOU MUST BE A THIEF….

The latest piece of Big Brother technology comes in the form of mathematical algorithms that check out surveillance video to figure out if you’re a shoplifter.

The BIG Y supermarket chain in Massachusetts has installed a system in its 57 stores that takes video camera feeds and runs them through a mathematical formula

As you can read here, the algorithms then decide if the store’s cashiers are engaging in an activity known as “sweethearting” where-by cashiers don’t ring up items as they work the check-out line.

If the system detects a problem, it alerts store security and then shows them the suspected video clip.

Stoplift, the company that invented the system claims on its website that it’s an accurate detector of employee theft.

But, knowing that math errors do occur in computer code, EYE would be a little worried about getting accused by a line of code that might corrupted.

Being a cop’s not always an easy job—but it does have its moments…

Especially when the bad guy is dumb enough to do your work for you.

And that’s the case with these folks.. Dumb as a box of rocks—and just waiting to taken for ‘Granite’…

HE’S GOT A TICKET TO RIDE (TO JAIL)…

If you’re on probation—-it’s a good idea not do do anything that might make your parole officer suspicious. And that would include showing up at his office in a stolen car when you are on probation for a car theft rap.

But that’s exactly what one criminal master-mind did.

It was pretty easy for the cops to figure out the vehicle had been stolen because this Tampa, Floridaguy shows up in a car with Washington State plates that has the ignition column punched out and a screwdriver shoved in the side of the steering column being used as an ignition key.

SHE WAS IN A REAL (DOOR) JAM…

Here’s an audio tape from a 9-1-1 call where a woman needs the police to help with her locked automobile.

Listen carefully as the dispatcher figures out what’s wrong almost instantly—and tries to suppress a giggle as she explains how to remedy the situation…

HIS EXCUSE KINDA BOMBED…

Jamiel Williams was supposed to report for a court-ordered drug test, in Lawrence, Massachusetts but was a afraid he was going to fail the test.

So, how best to avoid it?

Well — how about planting a fake bomb on the steps of the courthouse?

Part one of the plan worked perfectly.

The building was closed for hours.

Part two of the plan wasn’t so good.

You see, Jamiel left a handwritten note with his fake bomb, and his note also contained his fingerprints so the c0ps had TWO ways to tie him to the device.